The Longhorns have finally made it through their first football season in the SEC, finishing with a conference-best 11–1 record. Part of what makes this Texas team so successful is its immense offensive depth. Take a look at a couple of offensive standouts who will likely impact the SEC Championship game against Georgia on Saturday.
Last season, all eyes were on running back CJ Baxter. But when a season-ending knee injury took him out of the lineup in August, running back Quintrevion Wisner stepped up.
Wisner had a quiet start to the season. In the first three games, he logged only 72 rushing yards. But against Oklahoma, the sophomore put up 118 yards. Since then, he’s been a real difference-maker for Texas. Wisner rushed for 158 yards while facing Kentucky and scored a touchdown for the Longhorns too.
A week later, during the renewed Lone Star State Showdown game against Texas A&M, Wisner put up 186 rushing yards for 33 carries and 21 receiving yards in College Station and helped the Longhorns defeat the rivals they hadn’t faced in 13 years.
Wisner’s rushes are not long or flashy. He averages just over five yards per carry, but he makes a clear impact on the team. He chips away at yards and gives Texas critical first downs that allow other players to score touchdowns and, in turn, allow the Longhorns to win games.
Head Coach Steve Sarkisian said on Tuesday that Wisner was an integral part of the win at Kyle Field.
“Our ability to run the ball, our ability to convert on third downs and on fourth down, to extend drives, was really important in the game as well,” Sarkisian said. “So all in all, some really cool individual performances, obviously, Tre Wiesner …”
Wisner will be a critical element of Texas’ offense come Saturday in the rematch against Georgia — the only team to hand a loss to the Longhorns this year.
Another important piece of the Longhorn offensive puzzle comes in the form of junior wide receiver Matthew Golden. The Houston transfer came to Texas this year with 988 receiving yards under his belt and has found his groove as a Longhorn. Joining a star-studded lineup, it was unclear how Golden would be utilized, but he wasted no time getting started.
In his first game with Texas, Golden scored two touchdowns. Throughout the season, he has completed vital receptions that move the Longhorns down the field, with his longest coming in at 46 yards against the University of Louisiana at Monroe on Sept. 21.
Golden put up two touchdowns each against Florida and Arkansas and logged seven receptions against Kentucky for 86 yards. In the Texas A&M game, Golden hauled in a 44-yard catch, which was his longest of the night.
Golden’s ability to make big catches will certainly factor into the SEC Championship game against a Georgia team that is looking to defeat Texas once again.
